The Corsairs, also referred to as the Corsair Empire (Imperio del Corsario), are an unlawful faction operating from the remote Edge Worlds of Sirius. They are believed to be the largest criminal organization currently in operation in Sirius -- frequently attacking civilian, commercial, and even military targets. The Corsairs are ruled over by an oligarchy of the most ruthless, powerful, wealthy or influential, who reach their position of power primarily by carving a bloody path of destruction through their plentiful enemies.

Corsair influenced territories span across most of the Omicron and Omega Edge Worlds, leading them as far as Bretonia and Kusari. Most of their bases are directly connected to their core worlds. The Corsairs are currently involved in a long standing, large scale war with the Outcasts over the domination of the Omicron Edge Worlds.

History

Arrival in Sirius and Early History

The ancestors of the Corsairs that had set adrift from the crippled sleeper ship Hispania made planetfall on Crete shortly after the other Houses arrived in the Sirius Sector.

Scratching out a living, the Corsairs managed a bleak existence for four centuries and over time they developed a strong self-identity, isolated from the rest of the Houses. In 450 A.S. that insular world changed. An exploratory expedition headed by Franz Schulman -- financed by Daumann and the Rheinland government -- stumbled into the system while mapping the far reaches of the Walker Nebula. The local inhabitants, sensing a historic opportunity, attacked the landing party en masse, killing all save Schulman whom they took hostage to gain control of the mother ship "Schiller" in orbit above the planet.

No one is entirely sure who first nicknamed them the "Corsairs", recalling the ancient pirate clans of the Mediterranean, but the name came into popular use among the Houses sometime around 500 A.S. The Corsairs began attacking unprotected outposts and ships, plundering whatever supplies and equipment they could lay their hands on, before escaping through one of their secret Jump Holes. The systematic expansion of the Houses into the OmegaBorder Worlds further fueled the Corsair movement, dramatically increasing the quantity and variety of accessible goods.

The final chapter began in the sixth century AS, when an enterprising, well-armed Liberty freelancer named Jim Brown made his way to Omicron Gamma. He brought various Consumer Goods to trade, but the Corsairs could offer little but Artifacts. A year later he returned. Those trinkets were all the rage with the elite of Manhattan. He saw a great business opportunity if they could set up a viable trade route to Liberty. The Corsairs were on their way. They grew rapidly in size and sophistication as they built up the Artifact trade.

The primary smuggling route goes north to Sigma-19, where Artifacts are traded with the Hogosha onboard the Hawaii. In the west the Corsairs invaded Bretonia in order to reach the Junker Trafalgar Base in New London. They also operated routes into Rheinland via Yanagi Depot, a former Junker base in Sigma-13. Liberty is still a target of their smuggling operations, and much of this trade is handled by the Junkers and various intermediaries.

The Bounty Hunters Guild has taken advantage of several Freeports in the Edge Worlds to attack the Corsairs’ home system. So far they’ve been more of a nuisance than a real threat, but the presence of Zoner-controlled bases so close to Omicron Gamma has provoked intense debate among the Elders of Crete regarding the future of nearby independent bases.

A Varied Economy

In the past the Corsairs were unable to grow enough food on the mountainous and arid terrain of Planet Crete, and the low native wildlife populations and sparse forests only further contributed to the lack of resources and eventual famine of the original Corsair population. According to legend, in the early days of their civilisation a select few members of the populace volunteered to be cannibalised to ensure the future of their people. Though many Corsairs believe this to be a myth, these individuals are still revered among believers and their glorious sacrifice celebrated. This story however, whether a fact or a myth, is not one that the Corsairs share with outsiders.

Today the Corsairs, while not as desperate as in previous ages, are still dangerously short of food, which necessitates regular shipments of smuggled Food from the Houses to Crete. Their smuggling of Artifacts is a major source of income, a large portion of which is used to buy resources and food shipments from the Zoners and from the various Houses and factions of Sirius. Regardless of these (frequently inadequate) supplies the Corsairs are still using piracy and various shady business dealings to fulfil the majority of their demand for supplies and cash.

Despite their partial dependence on other organisations for food and resources, the Corsairs are known for their ship-building industry, and their advanced ship designs are feared across Sirius. Because of this, the Corsairs are rarely if ever seen utilizing ships or equipment developed by anyone other than their own engineers; Corsair battle technology is part of the Corsairs' national identity and most would be loathed to use anything else, viewing foreign ships and weaponry as inferior and unreliable.

Controlled and contested space

The Corsairs consider most of the Omega systems as part of their domain, and exercise significant influence even as far as Planet Gran Canaria where they maintain a large agricultural and supply colony. The Corsair zone of influence extends as far as the uppermost Sigma systems, Rheinland and Bretonia, as well as Honshu in Kusari. Liberty while not part of the direct Corsair zone of influence, is still the target of a great deal of the Artifact trade and thus a frequent port of call for Corsair smugglers.

The Corsair Empire has maintained their claim to the Omega-5 system for generations, but since shortly after the Popular Revolution in Rheinland they have had to protect their claim against the Red Hessians who have also taken roots in the system. Initially the presence of Red Hessians in Omega-5 was tolerated, until the Corsairs under the threat of growing Hessian competition in lane piracy took the decision to attempt to drive them out in 740 A.S. The initial siege of Ronneburg Base did not bring the expected conclusion however, an event that eventually led to a stalemate in the system that exists to this day. The bitter conflict has caused the loss of many lives, littering the Omega-5 "no man's land" with shipwrecks, all floating among the countless proximity mines and automated defences that have been set up by both sides over the years of warfare.

Rumours suggest that all-out invasions of the Rheinland and Bretonian houses sit within the long-term plans of the Corsair leadership, who are intent on expanding their empire and using the riches and fertile soils of Rheinlander and Bretonian planets to sustain their own populations. Indeed, Corsair sources are on record as referring to the Cambridge system as "Corsair space with unwelcome tenants" and the system is the scene of frequent Corsair raiding sorties, where outside the BAF controlled zones they seem to operate with relative impunity. Despite these plans however, the Corsairs have made little permanent progress in those areas, and one such campaign against Rheinland was brutally crushed by the Rheinland Military in 816 A.S. Recent years however have seen a strong resurgence of the Corsair military as well as a large increase in general fleet movements throughout the borders of the empire and beyond, indicating that the Corsairs may now consider themselves to be once again in a position to launch large scale operations within house space.

Government and politics

One of the many variations of the Corsair flag. (Associated with the [1] Council of Elders)

Currently ruled by an oligarchy referred to as the Council of Elders, the ruling body of the Corsairs is made up of the most ruthless, bloodthirsty, wealthy or influential people of their society. Initially, it consisted of representatives from the three most significant organizations within the Corsair empire, and a number of additional people nominated on an individual basis. This system, occasionally referred to as the "Triumvirate", was introduced as a solution to a number of years of infighting between the Corsair sects.

The roles of the Council range from that of a parliament, to that of a supreme court. Currently the Council of Eldersis considered to be the supreme and ultimate authority within the empire.

Economy

The economy of the Corsairs is based around smuggling and piracy. They are heavily involved in the transport of Alien Artifacts to third-party distributors such as the Junkers and Hogosha, who then transport the goods to dealers on House planets and bases. The profit received from this trade goes a long way towards paying for the regular shipments of food and other supplies that the Corsairs must receive from the Zoners.
Acquisition of cargo from traders in and between Bretonia and Rheinland at gunpoint has kept the Corsair nation thriving for generations and with their increased dependence upon the Zoners, and the development of short range balance transfers, Corsairs are now often spotted demanding Sirius credits from unlucky victims. These extra credits are then often used to pay for supply shipments, construction of new warships, or simply the personal gain of a family or individual.

Foreign relations

The Corsairs have a contempt for the other houses, and a disregard for foreign lives. As such, they have no inhibitions about killing Bretonian or Rheinland traders in cold blood if it means they will acquire wealth or cargo. Because of their relentless piracy and disregard for the lives and laws of Bretonia and Rheinland, they are feared enemies of these houses, and considered hostile by most of their associates.

Because the Corsairs ambitions and operations do not extend beyond Liberty and Kusari's borders, these houses view the Corsairs with disinterest. Due to their limited contact with the Corsairs, the Liberty government's policy on them centres around the view that they are "someone else's problem".

The war between Bretonia and Kusari has complicated Corsair foreign relations, with Kusari and the Corsair Empire finding themselves on the same side of the war. Despite this, collaboration between the Kusari and Corsair leaderships has been minimal. If the war continues, it is likely that quasi-legal organizations in Kusari such as the Farmers Alliance and Hogosha will play a vital role in bridging the gap between the kindred spirits in Kusari and the Corsair Empire.

Geographical location mitigates against any regular links between the Kingdom of Gallia and the Empire. However mutual enemies have resulted in a working neutrality and it is known that Ile-de-France Shipping have provided emergency supplies to the Leaders of the Empire.

Aside from their usual minor conflicts and skirmishes, the Corsairs are also in a state of declared war with the Outcasts and the Red Hessians on their respective fronts, with both wars long standing and exhausting to all parties, yet effectively mired in a long term stalemate.

Crime and dissent

Due to a lack of specific laws regarding many issues in the empire, the Corsair leadership often over-estimated and exaggerated the power it wielded over the nation as a whole. The lack of a specific system of tribunals and specific written laws meant that matters of misconduct often had to be dealt with by the Council of Elders on a case-by-case basis.

In 817 A.S. the Council of Elders published a unifying Corsair Laws Document which officially collected the many scattered ancient decrees and codes into one concise piece of legislature. A Supreme Court; a branch of the Council of Elders, has been set up to deal with matters of lawbreaking in the empire.

In addition, as of 818 A.S.], sale of Corsair ships and technology to non-Corsairs has been tightly regulated by the newly appointed Corsair Arms Licensing Dept.